Fence-machine



(No Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 1.

J-. A. JEWBLL.

FENCE MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 23, 1897.

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(No Modl. 3 SheetsShet 2. J. A. JEWELL.

FENCE MACHINE. No. 594,337. Patented Nov. 23, 1897.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. A. J EWELL.

FENCE MACHINE.

No. 594,337. Patented Nov. 23, 1897...

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JOHNSON A. JEWELL, OF OTTAWA, KANSAS.

FENCE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,337, dated November23, 1897.

A fi ti fil d March 30, 1897. Serial No. 630,001. (No model.)

structing wire-and-picket fencing and rolling the same into bundles whencompleted, both operations being performed simultaneously, and therolling or bundling mechanism serving to advance the fencing as thepickets are bound in between the strands of the cables.

One of the principal features of the invention is the constructionwhereby the pickets are enabled to be readily and quickly placed inposition between the strands and are advanced to a point so as to besecured by twisting the strands therearound.

Another feature of importance is the peculiar construction of the reel,whereby it can be quickly removed from the bundle or roll of fencing,placed in position, or disconnected from the machine, and in combinationtherewith of actuating mechanism tending to constantly exert a tensionupon the cables or fence-wires, so that after a picket has been bound inbetween the strands and the completed fence moved forward the bundlingmechanism will automatically wind up the fencing and prevent any slacktherein.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the inventionreference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the followingdescription.

The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form,proportion, and the minor details of construction without departing fromthe principle or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to afull disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which-- s Figure 1 is a side elevation of awire-fence machine constructed in accordance with this invention,showing it rigged and as it will appear when in operation. Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the fence-machine. Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof.Fig. 4 is a front view. Fig. 5 is a plan section on the line w a: ofFig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of a wire-twister. Fig'. 7is a top plan View of the frame bearing the spools of wire forming thestrands and cables of the fencing. Fig. 8 is a detail view of thepivotal joint between the spool-bearing frame and its supporting-base.Fig. 9 is a detail view of the upper portion of the reel-shaft, theintermeshing gearing between it and the power-driven shaft, and

showing the joint which admits of the reel being removed or readilyplaced in position. Fig. 10 is a detail view in perspective of the uppersupport for the slats or ribs forming the reel. Fig. 11 is'a sectionaldetail of a wire-twister and its mountings.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in the several views of the accompanyingdrawings by the same reference-characters The framework of the machinemay be of suitable construction and design, and, as illustrated, iscomposed of upper and lower 1ongitudinal bars 1, correspondingtransverse bars 2, and uprights 3, the several bars being firmlyconnected at their points of juncture. The rolling or bundling mechanismis located at the rear end of the machine and the wiretwisting mechanismat the front end, and at an intermediate point is arranged a guideroller4:, against which the completed fencing bears on its way to the bundlingor rolling mechanism.

The front uprights 3 have vertical grooves in their rear sides overwhich extend plates 5, which are secured to the rear sides of the saiduprights and have spaces between their inner edges in which operatebolts or like fastenings 6, by means of which plates 7 are secured tothe uprights in the required adjusted position. These plates '7 bear thewire-twisting devices and are formed with bearingsleeves 8, in which thewire-twisters are j ournaled so as to rotate freely when in operation.By loosening the bolts or fastenings 6 the plates 7 can be adj ustedvertically to any required distance apart or to any point correbeingsecured together by bolts or fast-enin gs 13. The twisting-wheel has atoothed portion and a hub, the latter obtaining a bearing in the sleeve8 and retained in place by the flanged base of the holder at one end ofthe bearing-sleeve and the toothed portion at the opposite end. Thewire-holder appears in the-form of a yoke and comprises a base and arms14, the latter having grooves in their outer edges communicating witheyes 16 at the extremities of the said arms. The grooves 15 communicateat their innerends with openin gs extending through the twister-wheeland which provide passages for the parallel strands 17, comprising thecables or fencewires. The inner edges of the arms lat are beveled fromopposite sides to prevent binding of the pickets between them andwhereby ample clearance is afforded for the free movement of the parts.The several twister-wheels are actuated by a sprocket-chain 18, engaging with theirtoothed portions, and this sprocketchain passes over anidler 19 at the upper end of the frame and adjustal'ily secured theretoin precisely the same manner as any one of the twisters to admit of itsadjustment to take up wear in the sprocket-chain and prevent theformation of any slack. A drive-gear 20, having a crank 21, is journaledin a bracket 22, secured to one of the front uprights, and thesprocket-chain 18 passes thereover and receives its initial movementtherefrom, the power being transmitted to the wire-twisters in themanner set forth.

The picket spacer and adjuster consists of vertical bars 23, connectedby transverse rods or bars 2 which are disposed so as to come betweenadjacent wire-twisters near the top and bottom edges of the fencing.Guiderods are secured at their front ends to the forward uprights 3 andextend horikontally and pass through openings in the vertical bars 523,and their rear ends are threaded and receive adj ustingnuts 26, whichform stops to limit the rearward movement of the said bars 23.Coil-springs 27 connect the end portions of the bars 23 withcorresponding bars 28, secured at their ends to the framebars 1, andthese springs are of sufficient tension to retain the picket in placeduring the operation of the twisting mechanism. A bail 29 has itshorizontal portion journaled to the front uprights 3 and its sideportions connected by links 30 with the bars 2 3, and one of the sidemembers of the bail is extended, forming a lever or operating-handle31., by means of which the bail and the bars 23 are moved horizontally.hen the free end of the lever 31 is moved forward to the dotted linesshown in Fig. 3, the bars 23 are within the plane of the holders 11,thereby admitting of a picket being passed between the arms 1th, andwhen the said lever is moved rearward the transverse rods or bars 24engage with the picket and carry it rearward and between the strands ofthe cables and into position to be secured by twisting the strands aboutit upon operating the twisting mechanism, as will be readily understood.

The fence bundling or rolling mechanism comprises a shaft 32, a reel 33,and actuating mechanism. The reel consists of slats 3iand upper andlower supports, the lower support being a table 35 and a spider 30, tothe bent ends of whose arms the slats 31- are attached. The uppersupport consists of a spider 37, having its arms slotted and extensions38 adjustably connected to the slotted arms by bolts or fastenings 30,the slots 34 being attached to the extensions 38. After a roll offencing of a required size has been attained the reel is loosened byslacking the fastenings or bolts 89 and moving the upper ends of theslats 3t inward, after which the reel may be removed by pulling upon theend provided with the table The shaft 32 is jointed near its upper endand is tubular and is connected by means of a rod 4C0, extending acrossthe joint and operating freely in one of the tubular parts, said rod 40having a finger-grip 41 connected therewith and operating in a slot 42to admit of the rod clearing the joint when liberated, a pin 43 servingto hold the rod projected across the joint when the parts of the shaft32 are brought into alinement. A miter-gear 44 is secured to the upperend of the shaft 32 and intermeshes with a mitcr-pinio11 45, mountedupon a transverse shaft L6 and caused to revolve therewith by means of aclutch 47, which latter provides for the turning of the shaft 46 to windup the weight 48 on a grooved pulley 49, attached to one end of the saidshaft, without imparting movement to the miter-pinion 45. A groovedwheel 50,0fconsiderably larger diameter than the grooved pulley 4.), issecured to the opposite end of the shaft 4-6, and a rope 51 is attachedthereto and is wound thereon in an opposite direction to the cord orrope 52, hearing the weight 48, whereby as the weight lowers and thecord or rope 52 unwinds the cord 51 is wound upon the wheel 50. From theconstruction just described it will be seen that to elevate the weightit is only necessary to pull upon the rope or cord 51, which, unwindingfrom the wheel 50, turns the shaft 46 and winds the rope or cord 52 uponthe pulley 49. The normal tendency of the weight 48 is to turn the shaft46 and the shaft 32 through the intermeshing gearing, whereby thefencing as it is completed is wound upon the reel into a roll or bundle,from which it is removed first by loosening the joint formed between theparts of the shaft 32 and then by loosening the upper ends of the slats3-1, so as to admit of the diameter of the reel being contracted,whereby it can be drawn easily from within the roll, as will be readilyunderstood.

The frame bearing the spools 53, upon which the wire is wound, is madedouble, so as to support in transverse alinement the two spoolscontaining the wires forming the companion strands of a cable, andconsists of a frame 54,

whose longitudinal bars have inclined notches 55 to receive the journalsof the spools, said notches inclining in an opposite direction to thestrain upon the wires, whereby the spools are held in place. The frame54 has pivotal connection at its rear end with a base or platform 56,and its front end is capable of vertical adjustment to suit the heightof the fencin g being constructed and is held elevated by pivoted braces57, having connection with the front end of the base or platform 56 andhav-' ing a series of openings through any one of which a pin orfastening passes and engages with the side bars of the frame 54. Whennot in service, the frame 54 can fold upon the base 56, as clearlyindicated by the dotted lines. Strap-irons 58 are secured at their lowerends to the base 56, and their upper ends receive fastenings 59, whichoperate in curved slots 60, formed in the rear ends of the side bars ofthe frame 54, thereby admitting of the rear corner of the frame 54engaging with the base or platform 56 at all stages of its adjustment,so as to be braced thereby.

When the machine is erected and in position for operation, the strands17, comprising a cable, are threaded through the openings of thetwister-Wheels through the grooves 15 and eyes 16 and are secured to thereel 33. The picket, which may be of wire, plain or barbed, or of wood,as required, is passed between the arms 14 of the holders 11 and islimited in its downward movement by resting upon a bracket-stop 61. Thelever 31 is now operated and moves the picket toward the rear end of themachine and in position to be bound in between the strands of theseveral cables by actuating the wire-twisting mechanism, which iseffected by turning the crank 21 through the instrumentality of themechanism herein described. After the picket has been secured betweenthe strands the spacer and adjuster is returned to a starting positionand another picket is placed in position and is moved forward byoperating the spacer and adjuster, this movement also serving to feedthe fence the proper distance, the slack which would otherwise beoccasioned being taken up by the reel, which is at all times undertension in the manner set forth. In order to prevent the reel-shaft 32from turning backward when winding the weighted or counterbalanced ropeor cord 52 upon the pulley 49, pawls 62 are attached to the framework ofthe machine and their free ends engage with the miter-gear 44, asclearly indicated in the drawings, Fig. 2.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In awire-fence machine, the combination of longitudinally-grooved uprights,longitudinal plates secured in parallel relation to the uprights andhaving their opposing edges spacedapart and extending over the open sideof the grooves, cross-plates bearing wire-twisters, and fastenings adjustably connecting the said cross-plates with the grooved uprights andadapted to move in the spaces formed between the longitudinal andparallel plates, substantially as set forth.

2. In a fence-machine, the combination of uprights, a plate adj ustablyconnected with the uprights and provided between its ends with abearing-sleeve, a twisting-wheel having a toothed portion engaging withone end of the bearing-sleeve, a holder having a base portion engagingwith the opposite end of the bearing-sleeve, and means for securing thebase of the holder to the hub of the twistingwheel, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

3. In a fence-machine,the combination with the wire twisting mechanism,of a picket spacer and adjuster comprisinga bar having portions toextend across the line of fencing, a guide for directing-the bar in itsreciprocating movements, an operating-lever, and a link connecting theoperating-lever with the bar, substantially as set forth.

4. In a fence-machine,the combination with the wire twisting mechanism,of a picket spacer and adjuster consisting of a bar having portionsextending across the line of fencing, a spring for moving the bar in onedirection and holding the picket in place during the operation of theWire-twisting mechanism, and an operating-lever for moving the barbackward and forward, substantially as set forth.

5. In a wire-fence machine, the combination with the wire-twistingmechanism, of a picket spacer and adjuster comprising a bar, a guide-roddirecting the bar in its reciproeating movements and provided with astop to limit its movement, a spring for holding the bar against thestop of the guide-rod, and an operating-lever for moving the bar,substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

6. In a fence-machine,the combination with the wire twisting mechanism,of a picket spacer and adjuster comprising parallel bars, transverserods connecting the bars and extending across the line of fencing toengage with and move the pickets, and an operatinglever for moving thebars backward and forward, substantially as set forth.

7. In a fence-machine,the combination with the wire twisting mechanism,of a picket spacer and adjuster comprising parallel bars, actuatingmechanism for reciprocating the bars, transverse rods connecting thebars and adapted to engage with and move the pickets, and springs actingupon the parallel bars and normally tending to move them away from thewire-twisting mechanism, substantially as set forth.

8. In a fence-machine,the combination with the wire-twisting mechanism,of a reel to re,

ceive the completed fencing comprising slats and end supports, one ofthe supports appearing as a spider and rigidly secured to the reelshaft,end extensions having the slats secured thereto and slidingly mountedupon the arms of the spider, and means for adjustably connecting thesaid end extensions with the arms of the spider, substantially as setforth for the purpose described.

9. In a fence-machine,the combination with the wire-twisting mechanism,of a reel to receive the completed fencing, a shaft for receiving andsupporting the reel and comprising sections which are jointed, actuatingmechanism applied to the shaft for turning the reel, and a rod slidablymounted in one of the sections of the shaft and adapted to move thereinto admit of the joint separating and to be projected across the joint tostiffen and strengthen it when the parts of the shaft are brought intoalinement, substantially as set forth.

10. In a fence-machine, the combination with the wire-twistingmechanism, of a reel to receive the completed fencing, a shaft havingthe reel mounted thereon and comprising separable parts, a rod slidinglymounted in one of the parts of the shaft and having a finger grip orextension projecting through a longitudinal slot formed therein, meansfor securing the rod to the opposite section and holding it projected,and actuating mechanism for turning the shaft and reel, substantially asset forth.

11. In a fence-machine, the combination with the wire-twistingmechanism, of a reel adapted to receive the completed fencing, a shaftsupporting the reel, a second shaft, intermeshing gearing between thetwo shafts for transmitting motion from one to the other, a clutchmechanism between the said second shaft and the power-transmittinggearing to admit of the second shaft turning backward for storing power,and acounterbalaneed rope or cord adapted to be wound upon a pulley orpart of the second shaft, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHNSON A. JE'WELL.

Vitnesses:

CYRUS SMITH, J. D. CoULTIs.

